Mine to Claim

Chapter 56

The night is quiet, but my thoughts are anything but.

Dominic lies beside me, still and watchful. He doesn't sleep—he never has—but his presence is steady, grounding. I envy that calm. My own chest feels like it's holding a storm—memories clawing at the edges, futures whispering promises I'm not sure I deserve.

I stare at the ceiling, fingers tracing the invisible scars on my wrist. Wulfric's ghost still lingers in the corners of my mind, even though I buried him with my own hands. Every memory plays in my head like a movie but I refuse to let them pull me in. I should feel victorious. I should feel free.

But freedom is a muscle I haven't learned to stretch.

He saw my aura, or so Dominic tells me, before I even knew who I was. And now, I carry the weight of two lives—my own, and the one I was before. The woman Dominic lost. The woman I used to be.

I don't know how to be both.

But I chose him. And that choice is my anchor.

Tomorrow, we tell them. Fenris, Sierra and my entire family. I will miss them. The people who've lived with the echo of my absence, the shadow of my pain. I don't know how they'll react. But I am sure that they'll be happy, for me. I've never belonged here but still they've welcomed me with open arms.

And now, wrapped in Dominic's arms, I finally drift into sleep. It's becoming easier now. Rest no longer feels like a stranger—not with him beside me. A peace I couldn't have imagined just months ago now wraps around me like a second skin.

~~~~

The sky begins to lighten, soft and slow. Pale gold stretches across the horizon, chasing away the last shadows of night. The air is cool, fresh—like the world is taking its first breath.

Light spills over the trees, touching everything with warmth. The ground glows. The silence feels gentle, full of promise.

It's a new day.

Whatever came before is behind. And ahead, something new begins.

I've never been able to think so poetically about nature. I guess meeting and accepting Dominic has brought out this side of me. I smile softly as I turn back to look at Dominic who's still lying on my bed in my room in Fenris's home.

I need to go somewhere.

I whisper those words softly, telepathically, pouring as much love as I can summon into those words. Lately all I can feel is this urge to go back where my life changed forever.

Do you want me to come with you?

A question? Have I ever heard a question from any King? Fenris? Connor? No, they always believe that they are their mates' protectors, but mine believes that I can protect myself. How... how... what's that word now?

Dominic chuckles, getting out of the bed now and trotting towards me lazily. Snaking his arms around me, he gently places a kiss on my forehead.

Reverent? Venerating? Gracious?

Ahh!!

How... how venerating of him, to see my strength not as a threat, but as something sacred.

"You put me on a pedestal, my love," he murmurs, fingers threading through my hair. "I'm not worthy of this."

Most of my braid has come undone, but before I can respond, he gently removes the band and runs his fingers through the full length of it—from scalp to hips. It's a slow, sensual motion, one that sends a shiver down my spine. I'm nervous. But I'm also eager to explore this feeling, this closeness.